Fever
by Terracea
Summary: Simon's sick. It's up to Athena and Apollo to take care of him. [Major Pairing: Cykesquill] EDITED


Hi. So a friend of mine requested a Cykesquill story. She wanted to know what a feverish Blackquill would be like. EDITED. I hate it when I get super excited and then post the story without reviewing it at all. Sigh. Haha. R&R?

* * *

******10:30PM; ****NOZU Japanese Restaurant**

"This is so delicious!" Athena said, using her chopsticks to pull a string of noodles to her mouth.

For dinner, Athena dragged Simon to a Japanese restaurant that had just opened a month ago. After several attempts to reserve a table, she managed to pull through and thought she should bring Simon along since he loves everything Japanese. Looking at at her bowl, she found herself pleased to see that the soup had been filled to the brim, making the vegetables and meat swim nicely. Her ramen smelled wonderful, and it even tastes great too.

"Certainly," Simon agreed, bringing his bowl to his lips, sipping the rest of the soup. "You have chosen a reputable restaurant."

"What- you're finished?!"

Gently placing the half-emptied bowl on the table, the prosecutor licked his lips and wiped it with his sleeve.

"Wow, you definitely finished three bowls. I just started mine." Athena remarked, picking up a bunch of strings and shoveled it in her mouth. As she chewed, he called the waitress and ordered sushi.

"Raw fish?"

Simon rolled his eyes and flicked his hair away from his face. "You are clearly mistaken, Cykes-dono-" he paused to correct himself. "I mean, _Athena_. I believe you're referring to sashimi."

"I don't care, they all taste the same."

"Sadly, they do not-"

"Shh."

"Apologies," he continued, after a brief moment of silence. "I'm afraid I find it difficult to say your first name, or your last without adding a formality."

"You used to call me Athena when I was younger, Simon." Athena said, picking a piece of beef and waving it around as she talked. "Stop calling me Cykes-dono, it sounds so... so formal. We're friends too, so I am highly encouraging you to speak informally when it's just you and me together. You know, the way a friend talks to a friend?"

"If you have finished jabbering, _friend_, I'll eat my sushi now." Simon said upon receiving a platterful. He carefully brought a roll to his lips.

Athena stuck out her tongue. "I don't get it. Sushi doesn't taste great. Most especially if you mix with it with that sticky green paste."

Simon clicked his tongue as he waved a finger back and forth. "Hmph. That's because you do not know how to eat sushi properly. But don't fret, dear Cykes... uh, _Athena_. I'm not going to force you to eat food you dislike."

"That's very... uh, considerate of you." Athena mumbled, stirring her glass of green tea. She brought a spoonful to her lips.

"And the sticky green paste is called _wasabi_." Simon added, dunking his spoon in the 'icky green paste'. He brought it to Athena's lips, "do you want to taste-"

"_Don't_! You jerk!" Athena interjected, pushing Simon's spoon away. Simon smirked.

"My, you answer quickly- ACHOO."

Athena brought her attention to the prosecutor's face, studying him intently. "Simon, do you have a cold?" she asked. Grimacing, she gestured at his dark gray coat, tattered and stringy - loose and old. "Winter is about to be here soon. We should probably buy you a new coat."

"Nonsense, this is my old coat." Simon said, grabbing the sides of his coat and pulling it forward.

"From seven years ago!" Athena said, waving her spoon. "That old coat of yours is tattered and dusty, it just won't do! I'll buy you a new one tomorrow."

"Don't bother!" Simon snapped. He knew very well that it's useless to argue with the redhead, but he very concerned regarding the amount of money she receives on that small paycheck of hers. Thanks to this dinner date, no matter how friendly the intentions were, their wallets suffered greatly. He was pretty sure he heard his wallet cry when he ordered that damned sushi.

But, with a pleading look on her face, how could he say no?

"Consider it as your 'it's-your-first-winter-out-of-jail gift, Simon _please_." she pleaded, showing him her best puppy-dog face.

Simon sneezed. Rubbing his nose with a napkin from the table, he sighed. Athena's right. The coat he was wearing had been left unused for so many years that moths probably feasted on it, or worse - rats. All he did was dunk the stupid coat in the washing machine, left it out of the window to dry, and wore it the next day, thinking that it still looked the way it did seven years ago.

With a sigh, he agreed. "Very well. Please refrain from choosing a bright color, Athena- ACHOO."

She winked. "Purple it is."

Simon crinkled his nose and squeezed it gently. With an upset look on his face, he rubbed another wad of tissue from the table, creating sniffling noises. She pouted, giving him a concerned look.

"...Will I get to see you in court tomorrow?"

"Yes. I'll be alright." Simon promised, giving Athena a soft reassuring smile. "Thank you for your concern."

* * *

******9:00 AM; **Courtroom No. 5

"All rise!" the bailiff yelled.

"Court is now in session for the trial of Mr. Rocken Rollman. Is the defense ready?"

"Yes, your honor." Athena said. Gripping on the sides of her table, her eyes were fixed on the prosecutor's bench. Instead of seeing the twisted samurai with his pet hawk, a familiar blond in a purple suit stood in his place. He winked at Apollo's direction before throwing her off with the power of his flying kiss. Next to him stood a familiar brunette wearing a lab coat. She reviewed his papers and shuffled them as if she was organizing them in his stead.

"Detective Skye is probably here as his assistant today." Apollo remarked, waving a hand to get her attention. It seemed to work because the brunette lifted her head and smiled at Apollo. She whispered a 'hi', before adding, 'it's nice to see you'.

"And the prosecution?" the Judge said, moving his gaze towards the other side.

"Ready to rock n' roll, Herr Judge." Klavier answered, plucking the invisible strings of his air guitar. As he looked up, his eyes met Athena's, and he grinned wildly, causing several ladies in the gallery to swoon. "Ah, we meet again Fräulein." he said, before adding "Herr Forehead" at Apollo's direction.

"I was under the impression that Prosecutor Blackquill will stand as the prosecution today... Why am I seeing you instead?" the Judge asked, looking over at the prosecution's side of the court.

"Unfortunately, Herr Blackquill called in sick this morning." he replied. "So, for today... it will be my handsome face that you see in this side of the court!"

"Idiot!" Athena yelled, slamming her fist on the bench.

"Excuse me?!" Klavier demanded, putting his hand on his chest, feigning offense.

The judge blinked. "...Ms. Cykes! I will appreciate it if you refrain from insulting the prosecution!"

Athena sheepishly scratched the back of her head, "I... I was referring to Prosecutor Blackquill, your honor." she reasoned.

"Oh! Hmm... well, I'm glad he didn't hear that!" The judge remarked, banging his gavel.

"Yeah, I'm glad he didn't." Apollo seconded, rubbing a small trail of a slash-like scab on his face. "Taka's claws are fucking sharp."

The judge nodded, rubbing the scabs on his bald head. "I agree with you, Mr. Justice." he said. "We will now proceed."

* * *

******10:30 PM; **Courtroom No. 5

The first part of the trial ended pretty fast.

Athena wasn't feeling particularly good. They were losing the case, and Apollo started to review the notes frantically. "Mr. Rollman couldn't have possibly done the crime, but we don't have the evidence to prove that he wasn't there."

Athena sighed as she scanned the autopsy report. She wanted to prove Mr. Rollman's innocence, but she wasn't in the mood to be in court right now. She glanced at her phone every now and then, checking her messages. Simon surely would have texted her something... or had sent a handwritten note through Taka to tell her he couldn't make it today.

Hanging her head low, she muttered. "That jerk, Simon. I was right..."

"Hey, Athena..." Apollo said, putting the notes on his lap, facing her direction. "Do you want to visit Prosecutor Blackquill after this trial?"

"Oh... yeah, let's go together." Athena said, looking up from her phone. "But I never thought you would care to go see him."

"Yeah, I know. But I can see you're clearly bothered about his cold." Apollo said, touching her arm. "He's probably all alone in his house, so he'll need someone to look after him."

Athena nodded, brushing her fingers on his. "You're right, Apollo."

"Hey guys!" Trucy said, entering from the door. She pulled a parcel out from her magic panties. "You left this in the office, so I thought I should bring it over... hey, is Athena okay?"

"She's worried about Simon. You see, Simon's sick," Apollo answered. "We're planing to go see him after the trial. Wanna join us, Truce?"

Trucy frowned as she handed Apollo the evidence they left in the office. "Aw geez, I'm afraid I can't. I have to attend an important club activity today. But please do say hi to him for me. Oh, and..." she waved her magic panties, rapidly tapping on the sides as she counted. "One... two... three, presto!" she exclaimed, revealing a small bottle with a red cap.

"Here, give this to him."

Athena noticed that Trucy handed her a bottle of Coldkiller X. "Coldkiller X?" she said, eyeing the bottle suspiciously. Wasn't this the cold medicine Mr. Wright disliked so much?

"Why do you have this, Trucy?" Apollo asked, recognizing the bottle.

Trucy tapped on her hat, "oh, I just picked it up from a local drugstore when I got sick. Winter's not really my favorite season."

"Seriously?! You used to knock on my bedroom door asking if I wanted to build a snowman over and over again!" Apollo interjected.

"Stop! It's dad's favorite movie, okay? Not mine!" Trucy said defensively, slapping him with her magic panties before rubbing her nose with it. "And I feel like sneezing..."

"_Let it gooo! Let it gooo-" _Apollo teased in a sing-songy voice. _"Can't hold it back, anymoooore!"_

"Does this even work, Trucy?" Athena interrupted, rattling the bottle to get their attention. "Mr. Wright must dislike this medicine for a reason." she said.

"He says he's allergic to it, but it works just fine." Trucy answered.

"Thanks for bringing us the stuff we need, Trucy." Apollo said, pulling Trucy into a brief side-hug.

"Sure, no problem!" Trucy said, tipping her hat. "Anything for my friends. Anyway, I gotta go. I can hear the bailiff's voice outside the door. It seems it's time for your trial to start."

* * *

******1:00 PM; Courtroom Lobby**  


"Congratulations!" Apollo said, patting Athena's shoulder.

"Wow, I can't believe we did it!" Athena said, "That was difficult, but we did it!"

Mr. Rollman raised both of his arms and enveloped the two lawyers into a hug. "HELL YEAH! You saved my ass! Here, I'll give the both of you free tickets to my next concert!"

"Y-you're welcome, Mr. Rollman." Apollo said, pushing the muscular man's body away. Athena's lips formed a tight frown as she resisted, mimicking her associate's action.

It seemed like forever, but a familiar voice from the other side of the room echoed as he said Mr. Rollman's name. "I'm glad I was wrong, Herr Rollman." Klavier said as he walked towards their direction. Ema followed shortly, pulling a heavy briefcase. "Glimmerous fop, must you leave your stupid briefcase in the courtroom?!" she angrily yelled.

"Shh." Klavier interrupted, placing his fingers on Ema's mouth. Facing Mr. Rollman, he said, "You don't deserve to rot in jail. In fact, you deserve to be out there... with your fans."

Before Apollo and Athena knew it, they were thrown unceremoniously on the floor. As they landed, they saw his muscular arms crush the prosecution instead. "Free tickets to the both of you as well!"

As Rollman twirled Ema and Klavier's starstruck bodies, Apollo and Athena saw it as their chance to escape.

* * *

**1:30PM; Blackquill's Apartment**

"... I apologize," Simon finally managed to say. "...I must say... I didn't expect this to happen."

His hair was unkempt and frayed, and he was paler than before. His eyebags dimmed darker, and his legs wobbled as he walked back to his bed. He sat weakly, burying his face on his hands. "...and I can't entertain you well... ACHOO!"

"Don't worry, Prosecutor Blackquill. We didn't expect you to entertain us since knew you were sick... ahaha..." Apollo said, ever so politely.

"GO LIE IN YOUR BED NOW!" Athena commanded, pointing her finger at him.

"I..._sniffle..._ I'm afraid I cannot. If I shall do so, my nose will be blocked, and I'll find it difficult to sleep." he said, rubbing his nose with his hand.

Taka, who had just returned from her hunt, perched on Blackquill's shoulder, rubbing his head on his owner's cheek consolingly. It screeched upon seeing Athena and Apollo, but made no threatening actions.

"It must have sensed our good intentions..." Apollo whispered to Athena.

Athena made an assenting sound as she nodded. Grateful that the bird didn't try to shoot them down with its death glare.

"So... did you go to the hospital?" Athena asked.

"I'm afraid not..."

"Did you eat breakfast and lunch?" Apollo said, taking a clinical thermometer from Simon's nightstand.

"I couldn't do those things..."

"Do you have a fever?" Apollo asked.

"No... Nghh..." Simon replied, as Apollo placed the tip of the thermometer under Simon's tongue. After the beep, Apollo carefully removed it and checked the reading. "38.9 degrees centigrade."

"YOU LIAR!" Athena yelled, pushing Simon on the bed. "Jeez, lay still!"

"But my nose! _My nose_!" Simon yelled back, resisting Athena's hands. Taka stood at the ready waiting for his master's call. Fortunately for Athena, there was none. After an intense struggle, he found himself surrendering as he lay face-down on his bed, covering himself with his blanket.

"Ah... I can't breathe..." he moaned, rubbing his nose on the pillow.

"Alright... Apollo, put a wet cloth on his forehead... Use my small towel." Athena said, handing the towel from her pocket over to Apollo. Apollo glanced at the cloth seemed to remember what Athena used it for earlier during the trial.

'Didn't you use this to wipe your sweat earlier?"

"You... you are clearly mistaken." Athena lied.

Apollo sighed as he left the room, leaving Athena alone with Simon. Back when she was still a kid, she skipped school for a week because of a fever. Since her mother was so busy working on her research, Simon took care of her instead. He sat by her bedside and told her wonderful stories about honorable samurais saving beautiful princesses, or would just turn the television on and watch Steel Samurai episodes with her. Sometimes, he'd bring crayons and paper, and they'd doodle until she fell asleep.

Now the tables have turned. She never expected this to happen. Sitting on his bed, she touched his forehead. "Apollo wasn't kidding when he read the thermometer." she said.

"...that was a rectal thermometer."

Athena gasped. "I will kill Apollo! I will kill him right now!"

Simon chuckled. "Apologies, that was a joke."

"Y-you're... YOU'RE AN ASS, SIMON!" Athena cursed, slapping the prosecutor's arm angrily.

Simon laughed harder, but had to stop when he felt pain coursing through his stomach. As he laid back, he heard his stomach growl loudly, making his cheeks flush in embarrassment.

"No breakfast and lunch, huh? No worries, I'll get you your brunch." Athena said, delicately combing his hair with her fingers. "You'll be alright. We'll take care of you." She stood to leave, but Simon tugged on her sleeve.

"Simon, what's wrong?"

"...the...trial?" he weakly asked, still holding on to Athena.

"Don't worry. Gavin took over." she answered, gently squeezing on his hand before removing it from her sleeve. He slumped his hand back inside the blanket and smiled weakly. "Cook carefully, Athena. I'm looking forward... to taste what you will serve..."

For a moment, Athena was taken aback. She was planning to get Simon noodles from Eldoon's, but she didn't exactly expect him to think that she would be cooking him his brunch.

"Uh, sure Simon... I'll cook you your favorite." Athena said, "I mean I don't have to if you don't feel like it, but, well… what do you think? ... And do you mind I use your kitchen?"

"I don't mind..." he replied. "And frankly, I would most certainly appreciate it if you served me anything. Your cooking is the best, _and_ I am starving."

She blushed. "My cooking is the best..." she repeated, sighing dreamily._  
_

Apollo returned with Simon's wet towel, gingerly placing it on his forehead. Simon flinched in surprise, but relaxed upon feeling the cloth's coldness against his skin. Athena stood up from his bed, and faced Apollo. "I'm gonna cook him soup now. Stay here and take care of him, okay?"

"Wait, you're leaving me here with the bird?" Apollo asked, eyeing Taka warily. The bird just groomed itself in its perch, but left when Simon whistled.

The door slammed shut, and Apollo sighed in relief as he sat on a cushion.

"I... I need to sit. My nose finds it difficult to breathe..." Simon said, slowly getting up. Apollo sprung into action, cutting the man's movement as he pushed him back down. "Mr. Blackquill, please stay in bed!"

Simon glared at him. "Justice-dono, how could you...?"

"Well, Athena asked me to look after you." Apollo said, twiddling his fingers. He cocked his head to the side. "Speaking of which, she's cooking you soup... I had no idea she can cook."

Simon's face suddenly relaxed as he closed his eyes.

"Justice-dono? You may not be aware of this but... when Athena was a kid, she baked me a box full of chocolate cookies. Do you... do you want to hear the story?"

"Sure, Mr. Blackquill." Apollo said, feeling quite curious himself.

"One fine day, Athena overheard Aura tell Metis that I lost a case... I was crushed because I thought... I thought I had him, you know, the culprit, I mean..."

Apollo nodded, prompting him to move on.

"Upon hearing the terrible news, she immediately went to the kitchen and baked me a small batch of cookies. How she learned to bake, I will never know..." Simon continued. "The prosecutor's building was relatively far from the space station, and she could have waited for me to arrive there... since I regularly visit for consultation..."

"...but Athena walked with her little legs determined to cheer me up. That gave her the strength to bring the package to me."

"Why didn't she ride the train?" Apollo asked.

"As much as possible, Athena avoided riding the train since she couldn't stand large crowds back then. Poor girl had to walk to get to places. Eventually, Metis was considering to home-school the kid, but the plan didn't pull though because of that... _that incident_."

A long silence ensued, creating an awkward rift. After several minutes of continued silence, Apollo felt the need to nudge the prosecutor, eager to know what happened next.

"...my apologies, I must have slept..."

"With your eyes open?"

Simon sighed, "It's possible. Where was I?"

"So how did Athena deliver the package to you?"

"I... I remember signing my name on several papers when a policeman knocked on my door and said... he found a kid named Athena Cykes wandering right outside the building... looking for me." he paused, chucking softly.

"I had to reprimand her, but, with a determined look on her face, she interrupted my lengthy spiel as she handed me a small red box. I remember feeling a bit surprised when she did that... but..." Simon continued. "...cookies were too sugary for my taste... I didn't tell her that, but I was genuinely happy for it was made with..."

Apollo blinked. "Made with... made with _what_?"

But Simon was fast asleep.

"WAKE UP, PROSECUTOR BLACKQUILLLLL!" Apollo yelled, shaking Simon's shoulder violently.

The door slammed open, and an angry Athena threw a bowl at Apollo as she yelled, "DON'T BOTHER HIM YOU IDIOT! WHAT IF YOU WAKE HIM UP!?"

* * *

**3:00PM; Blackquill's Apartment**

"Looks like I'm gonna have to heat his soup as soon as he wakes up." Athena commented, glancing at the tray she set on the floor, next to Simon's bed. The bottle of Coldkiller X stood next to the bowl.

"I covered it with a plate earlier," Apollo informed her, munching on a rice ball. "But the heat managed to escape somehow..."

"Ah, don't worry. It's still warm." Athena said, lightly touching Simon's bowl. "Want some more soup?"

"Nah, I'm full."

They had just finished eating their lunch but had to make sure Simon ate his. So, even though Simon hadn't permitted it, they ate in his room. Still feeling a bit uneasy, Apollo stacked his bowl on top of Athena's, muttering stuff about violating Simon's space with their impolite intrusion.

"Apollo, Simon will totally be okay with it. We're his friends, remember?" Athena said.

With a hesitant look on his face, Apollo faced her, giving her an uncomfortable look."Athena, I must admit. I've been wondering... um, can I ask you a personal question?"

Thinking it wasn't a big deal, she didn't miss a beat. "OK, shoot."

"Do you like Blackquill?"

That was a direct hit. Shocked, she pulled her body back. "What do you mean..."

"I know it's not appropriate if I pry into your personal affairs, but I'm just confused if you really like Mr. Blackquill... that way." Apollo said.

"Of... of course not." Athena answered, "I mean, I'm too busy defending the weak and hopeless. I don't have time to like anyone _that_ way- most especially Simon."

Apollo felt his bracelet constricting his wrist, but felt like he shouldn't prod her about it further. He didn't wish to be in trouble with her in the first place. He was about to change the topic into a lighter note when he felt a clammy hand grab on his shoulder. He flinched, then whirled around to see the prosecutor wide awake, eyeing the food on their hands.

"Mr. Blackquill, you frightened me!" Apollo yelled at him. Simon didn't say anything. Instead, he used his arms to sit himself up.

"Ah, you're up." Athena said, carrying the tray from the floor to his side table. "Would you like some soup?"

"I would... most certainly... appreciate it." Simon replied, rubbing his throat.

"You were sneezing and coughing while you were asleep. Seems your throat got a little scratchy, huh?" Apollo mentioned, standing up. "I'll get you another glass of water."

As soon as Apollo left the room, Athena sat on the side of Simon's bed, removing the plate on the top. She stirred the soup before she spooned it, raising it near his cold lips. The soup entered his lips, gently calming the itch on his throat.

"I... I can't taste it." Simon said, sucking on the spoon.

"Yeah, your throat hurts, right?" Athena said sympathetically. "Don't worry about taste now, Simon. I'll still cook for you once you get better."

Simon nodded, taking the bowl in his hands. He tried to smell it, but couldn't. With a sigh, he lifted the bowl to his lips and drank the entire soup in one go.

A startled Athena was taken aback, but watched happily. With a feverish, yet happy look on his eyes, he smiled gratefully as he faced her. "By drinking it like that, I managed to taste a little."

She returned the smile, tapping the spoon on her lips. "Was it good?" she asked.

He nodded. _It was more than good_, Athena heard his heart say but the words that escaped his lips were: "Thank you."

Athena placed the bowl and spoon back on the tray and moved closer to Simon. With an earnest smile, she enveloped him in an awkward hug. He hugged her back, forgetting that Apollo was bound to return any moment.

"I missed us." Athena mumbled, burrowing her head in his arms.

Simon nodded, moving his nose closer to her hair. Despite the fact that his nose was runny, he couldn't help but inhale her scent. It was a sweet combination of vanilla and something he couldn't describe. He smiled. After seven long years, she still smelled the same. How pleasant.

Just when Simon thought that the hug would last forever, the sound of the door opening broke the hug, making Athena push Simon away from her. She immediately stood up, putting both hands on the tray she left on his bedside table.

Apollo entered the door, holding a glass of water.

"Hi Apollo! Simon just finished eating!" she said, showing him the tray - sounding more eager than she had intended.

"That's nice. So, Mr. Wright called. He said you should go to the office and take care of certain things." he said, "I'll watch over him until you come back, alright?"

"R-roger that!" Athena said as she approached the door. She turned to give Simon one last look, smiled, and then closed it.

* * *

**3:25PM; Blackquill's Apartment**

Apollo managed to give Simon his medicine. After a brief argument about Coldkiller X's effectiveness, he managed to make the prosecutor swallow a pill. The man went back to sleep, and he subjected himself to wash the bowls Athena neglected to clean.

Athena left the pot on the stove since there was little bit of soup left. Apollo decided not to touch that just in case Simon or Athena felt hungry. As soon as he finished putting away the cleaned bowls, he returned to Simon's room.

He found the man's head emerging from a pile of blankets. He had buried himself in it earlier after claiming that he felt terribly cold. Apollo had turned the AC off, but the prosecutor still shivered due to severe chills on his body.

"So, Justice-dono. You're staying here because you still want to take care of me...? How sweet of you." Simon said, peering through a blanket.

"Ah no... I kind of want to ask you a question..." Apollo said tentatively, "How should I phrase it...?"

Blackquill observed the red-vested attorney pace back and forth as he struggled with his contemplation. Just when Blackquill got bored, Apollo whirled around, hands on his hips, and asked, "D-do you have a crush on anyone, Mr. Blackquill?"

Simon's expression darkened. "What is this question for? Don't tell me you're interested in me-"

"What?! That's crazy talk! I just simply want to know if you're interested in someone right now! Specifically, a long-haired girl who wears a yellow suit all the time!" Apollo shrieked, unconsciously using his chords of steel.

"Hmph." Simon scoffed, bringing his head back into the sheets. "If you're that interested to know... I don't have a _crush_ on anyone."

Apollo nodded. "I see. But you still like Athena, right?" he pressed.

"Hmm. I suppose so."

Apollo frowned. "I think... Athena really likes you _that way_, Mr. Blackquill."

"Surely you jest." Simon said. "She told you that she didn't, remember?"

"Um, yeah, she did... waitaminute. How did you know about that?!" Apollo yelled, pointing his index finger accusingly at Simon. "You were supposed to be asleep that time!"

"Frankly, I was just closing my eyes. I had difficulty sleeping because of your shrill voice." Simon replied bluntly.

Apollo sheepishly poked his cheek with his index finger. "Err, whatever... well, my bracelet reacted when she said she didn't."

"Whatever that strange jewelry of yours claimed," He said, waving a hand. "That can't be right. I'm a shady character, a twisted man with no heart."

"Suuuuure," Apollo said, "and my prosecutor friends tell me that you've started to change. You're starting to become more open, friendly, and kind."

Simon hid his face in the blankets again, but for a different reason this time. "...that _absolutely _cannot be correct."

Apollo felt like laughing but decided to politely smile instead. He didn't know that the most-feared 'twisted samurai' gets flustered over topics like these. Suddenly, he felt his phone vibrate, and he picked it up almost immediately. It was Athena.

He heard her voice over the receiver. "You liar! Mr. Wright wasn't looking for me, he was looking for _you_!"

"Whaaaaaaaat?!" Apollo said, feigning surprise. "I totally thought he was looking for you!"

"Shut up, I'm gonna get changed, then be on my way back!" Athena yelled, before ending the call.

"Oh dear, that was Athena." Apollo said, approaching the door. "I really gotta go now. Sorry for bothering you."

"No, I should be the one who should apologize to you." Simon said, removing the blanket from his face. "Thank you for coming."

"Oh, I almost forgot." Apollo said, gesturing at the bottle of Coldkiller X. "Trucy gave that medicine to us and said we should say hi to you for her. She said she was also worried about you."

"Wright-dono's daughter?" Simon asked, remembering the strange girl wearing a magician's outfit that swings by the gallery during Wright's cases. "Please convey my heartfelt thanks to her."

Apollo snickered at the word heartfelt. "S-sure. Hehehe. You should go to sleep now. Your nose shouldn't be able to get stuffed up since you took your medication and all."

"I doubt that."

"We hope to see you in court soon." Apollo continued, before uttering his goodbye. The door thudded gently as he left.

* * *

**5:00PM; Blackquill's Apartment**

Athena arrived, wearing a pale yellow jacket over her black skinny jeans. Her hair had been tied into a loose ponytail.

Gently placing her bag full of extra clothes, her sleeping bag, and some snacks from the convenience store in Simon's dinner table, she noticed that Apollo managed to clean the dirty bowls she left on the table.

Knocking first before entering, she walked into Simon's room and found him sleeping peacefully on his bed, clenching his phone in his head. She approached his sleeping body, cautiously glancing at Taka's perch. Relieved that the bird wasn't there, she sat on his bedside.

He stirred a bit, slowly realizing that it was Athena. He blinked, readjusting his eyes to the light coming from the window.

"I have returned." she said, giving him a small smile.

"So you have. Welcome back."


End file.
